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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. club — a group
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — for golf
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fall — the season
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. dip — to sink
  13. deal — to handle
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stock — goods
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. season — of the year
  22. fall — to drop
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com